Paul Pogba has lavished his France team-mate Kylian Mbappe with praise and admitted the 19-year-old has far more talent than he possessed at the same age.
Mbappe scored twice and produced an all-round fearsome display as France beat Argentina 4-3 to seal their spot in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker earned rave reviews as he tore apart Argentina’s defence and speaking after the match, Pogba told reporters that he was blown away by the performance of a player six years his junior.
‘Kylian has much more talent than I have,’ Pogba said via Goal. ‘Do you see what he is doing at his age? No, I never had his talent.
‘He has so much speed… he’s a forward, he can’t be compared with me,’ Pogba added after Mbappe’s standout display in Kazan saw France set up a quarter-final meeting with Uruguay.
At Mbappe’s age, Pogba had just completed a move to Juventus from Manchester United and would not make his France debut until a year later at the age of 20.